


"Always."

by Imjustadaydreamerr



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Body Image, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I use my apprentice but you can just picture yours., Other characters are present for just a moment., Reader-Insert, Weight Gain, Weight Issues, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-23 21:22:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21088043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imjustadaydreamerr/pseuds/Imjustadaydreamerr
Summary: Sabrina loves hanging with Lucio. She also loves seeing what she can create in the kitchen. This leads to trouble for Lucio.





	"Always."

**-At the Palace-**

Lucio frowned, noticing that his clothes were fitting tighter than usual. Sabrina had been coming around a lot, with food more often than not. She loved to experiment with cooking and was pretty alright at it. So alright that Lucio almost always had to have a second helping. He just couldn't resist. Now that they were beginning to stick around, those second helpings weren't exactly helping.

He looked in the mirror. He had to look very closely to see it, but there was the tiniest hint of a double chin making itself known. Sighing and shaking his head, he went to have his makeup done. He would not let a few pounds bother him. He was still everyone's beloved Count Lucio, and he was still fabulous. It didn't make him any less attractive.

_Did it?_

**-A Few Days Later-**

He walked down a palace corridor, on the way to a meeting with Nadia and the Courtiers. Hearing the voice of his old flame, Valerius, the Count froze. "Did anyone else see the gut on Count Dorkula?" 

Lucio's heart thumped. Once again, he was the joke. He listened for the next response. They were going to regret mocking him.

"Yes. He has indeed put on some new insulation. I trust that the winter shall not trouble him much this year." Valdemar.

"Well, now that you mention it, I did see him consume more than Volta the other day. And that is quite a lot." Vlastomil.

"Oh, what I wouldn't do for a sandwich right about now..." Volta.

"Quiet, fools! This is a meeting on war strategy!" Vulgora.

"Thank you, Vulgora. However, there are a few other matters at hand. My husband should be here any moment, and we shall get started." Nadia.

Lucio stepped casually into the room as if he were none the wiser to the previous conversation. "Greetings, Nadi. Courtiers," he said, taking his seat at one end of the table. "So, what is the most pressing concern of the day?"

**-After the Meeting-**

Lucio sat solo in his chair, the meeting adjourned a few moments prior. Business was taken care of. All that was left to do was return to his wing and wait for Sabrina. He cringed at the thought of her touching him now that he was noticably a bit heavier. "Stupid," he muttered quietly as he thought about how he did this to himself.

_No wonder I'm a laughingstock. If Morga saw me now, she would know she was right. Her son is a foolish disappointment. _

He almost didn't want to see Sabrina. Almost. He retired to his wing of the palace to wait on his bed for her to arrive. 

And arrive she did. With multiple bags of food, all with their own enticing aromas. "Hey, Charming," she called as she walked over to his bed and sat down facing him, placing the bags on the ground. "Can I interest you in some Parmesan garlic bread?" 

The divine scents of fresh herbs and freshly baked bread called to him. "Actually, Dove, I'm not very hungry," he lied out loud.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked, placing the back of her hand to his forehead to see if he was overheating. No, he was not. "You usually love to eat."

"I'm just not hungry is all. I'm fine, really," he told her. 

"Oh. Okay. If you say so. What would you like to do, handsome?" She asked.

"Perhaps we could talk. That would be good, yes?"

Sabrina nodded. "So, how was your day? " she asked.

"It was alright, I guess. Same shit, different day," he laughed bitterly.

"Not the best day, I take it?" Sabrina began lightly kissing his neck.

He moaned faintly. "Darling, that's wonderful, Oh!" He was thrown backward onto his bed as Sabrina playfully tackled him. She sat with her legs on either side of his waist, admiring the lovely man beneath her. _What have I done to be so blessed? _she thought to herself.

Lucio would never have guessed that. He was too self-conscious to think about anything but how awful he must have looked from that angle. Sabrina lifted the ends of his shirt, and he instinctively shoved her hands away. "Stop!" 

She put her hands up in surrender and moved herself off of him so she was sitting next to him. "What did I do?" 

"Nothing, Dove. It's nothing. I'm just not in that mood at the moment," he tried as he sat up so they were facing one another.

"Lucio, you're starting to worry me. You're not hungry, and you don't want to get frisky. Those are your two greatest loves in life. What's wrong?"

Lucio closed his eyes. "It's stupid."

"Not if it's bothering you this much." She smoothed back a piece of his hair and softly combed it into place with her fingers. "You can tell me anything."

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't want you to see me without a shirt until I can lose a few pounds," he admitted. 

"Why, Love? I've never made you uncomfortable about yourself, have I?" She felt so bad. She never wanted that to happen. She knew from experience that it's not a fun thing.

"No. It's just that you don't need to see that," he said.

"Need to see that? It's you. I always love seeing you," she reminded him.

"Even with a 'gut'?" Lucio asked, voice cracking and eyes beginning to water. _Pathetic. Loser._

"Hon, what are you talking about? You know I love you no matter what."

"Today, I was running late for a meeting. Just before I was about to go into the room, Valerius was saying, 'Did anyone else see the gut on Count Dorkula?' Then the other courtiers had to chime in as well. Talking about how much weight I've gained." A delicate stream of tears graced Lucio's face. "I didn't think it was that bad. But then I got it into my head that if they noticed, you would too, and I didn't want you to be repulsed. I mean, look at me. My clothes are tighter than ever, and it's not like he's wrong about the gut." The anxious blonde's shoulders began trembling as he started to weep, his fears of insufficiency on full display.

Sabrina took his right hand in between both of hers. "First of all, with as much as Valerius drinks, it's a wonder he doesn't have a gut yet. Second, I could never be repulsed by the way you look. Like I said, I love seeing you. Gut or no gut. And last, if these clothes are too tight, perhaps you should take them off and we can get you into something more comfy. We can still have fun if you're up for it." She pulled the Count into a hug, lightly playing with some golden strands of hair. He returned the embrace affectionately. "I love you. I will always have your back, Darling. Always," she assured.

"I love you too, Dove. The same goes for you. Always. I like that. No, I love that," he replied.

Lucio pulled away ever so slightly, a mischevious gleam in his eyes. "So, is 'fun' still an option?"

She pressed a gentle yet slow kiss to the Count's lips. "Indeed it is, my love. Indeed it is." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively like the dork she was, a playful smile beckoning him to make the next move.

Well, we'd better give these two some privacy.

** -Curtain Draws-**

That's all, folks!

Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by user queerplantbaby, who wrote a story in which Lucio gains weight and he as well as the apprentice find it extremely sexy.  
I got the idea from that to make a story that goes the opposite way, in which he gains some weight and feels self-conscious about it.


End file.
